Secrets Kept
by Liryc
Summary: As the Tovarishch of the noble Ion Fortuna, Radu feels overshadowed and disillusioned by the goings-on in the Methuselah Empire, and as a result turns to the Order of Rosenkreuz for help.
1. Chapter 1

"Tovarishch?" A young boy of thirteen stepped around the well-trimmed hedge, dressed in the silk attire of an Imperial noble. His hair was just long enough that he could tie it back at the base of his skull loosely with a silver cord, and was a deep shade of cobalt like the evening sky. He'd spotted his closest companion, a boy with sleek, pale blond hair and crimson eyes, sitting alone on a stone bench that was carved to look like the native plants. From there, his companion had a lovely view of one of the many fountains on the grounds of the Moldova mansion. His head was bowed, and a confused frown was on his lips, as if he didn't know what exactly to think of a certain situation.

"Tovarishch, are you all right?" the first boy took a seat beside his companion, touching his shoulder.

"Radu..." his smile was deeply relieved, "I hoped to see you..." Radu stroked his companion's blond hair.

"What is it? Something is bothering you. Tell me, please?" The blond's arm went around Radu's back and pulled him close, the two of them cuddling for comfort and the desire for intimacy.

"Today... Today was my Awakening... Radu... After today, I can never walk beneath the bright sun... Never again."

"Awakened?" To the vampiric Methuselah, the Awakening was the day the virus—the one that caused their thirst for blood—became active. It slowed the aging process and greatly extended the Methuselah's natural life span. Though they looked the same age now, in a few years time Radu will have aged much. Normally, Tovarishch awakened near the same time, usually within days, and Radu was eager to join his lifelong companion. Up until now, one of their favorite pass times had been playfully tormenting the Terran—who lived among them, usually as servants—in good sport during broad daylight.

"Oh, Radu... What do you want to do? I will not stop you if you continue to venture outside the barrier... But I cannot... Like my father and grandfather before me... I will rule the night with the rest of my kin." The blond looked as if he might cry, as if he had suffered a great loss by having to give up the sunlight, but Radu gently planted a kiss on the center of his forehead.

"Then from this day forward, I won't go out into the sun either. Ion, you and I will always be together. I will always be here for you. I'll shun the hurtful sun and embrace the moon for you. I promise." Radu gave a glowing smile.

"You will? From now until the end of our lives?"

"Yes... Forever." Satisfied, Ion smiled back. Radu draped his arms across Ion's shoulders and pulled him closer, their heads leaning together and fingers knotted. Ion reached up, and carded his fingers through the loose hair that framed Radu's fair face.

"I will miss the blue glow that has stunned me on many days under the sun... and made me love you all the more. Perhaps the moon will allow such a beautiful color to come forth? It shines like... Like the deep cerulean of the sea, Radu. No, even better than that, like the most flawless of sapphires." Radu blushed with pleasure at such complements, smiling shyly. "Tonight, you will be by my side as I am recognized as a noble of the House of Moldova, will you not?"

"Always. And you'll be at my awakening?"

"Yes. Tovarishch, I love you, and would never dare to leave you..." he cupped Radu's cheek in his palm and turned his head ever so slightly, and they kissed to seal the deal. Ion blushed and pulled away, as if astounded by his own boldness, but Radu caught him and pulled him back, kissing him again, enjoying it far too much to let it go.

"Ion... I don't care if someone's watching, and I'll always want a kiss from you. Don't be afraid to take one whenever you'd like." Ion nodded.

"You have told me this before, but... Forgive me, Tovarishch." Radu smiled again.

"Shouldn't we be getting ready for your Awakening ceremony?"

"Yes. Shall we go?" he grasped Radu's hand and pulled him up, and they kept their hands in each other's as they returned to the House of Moldova, which was the lavish Persian-influenced abode of the Duchess of Moldova, Mirka Fortuna. Ion's grandmother. Radu's family home was nowhere near as beautiful or richly decorated, but he was also not nearly as high born. His own parents had passed from this world not so long ago, but near the same time as Ion's, leaving Radu the sole heir to the Luxor family fortune. He was a Baron already at his age, and would inherit his property when he, too, was Awakened as a Methuselah. However... Ion was born an Earl, and outranked him twice over, and as soon as he was appointed Duke of Moldova at the time of Mirka's death, he would be one rank short of royalty, which was a title only ever to be worn by the Empress Augusta Vradica herself.

For now, he stayed in the Moldova mansion, and, though Mirka seemed to enjoy his company while Ion was around, she was rather cold and distant otherwise. He'd accidentally heard a conversation between her and Lord Baibars one evening, involving himself and Ion's adoration of him.

"You know, it really is unhealthy for my grandson to pursue such lowly enjoyment with a young man of the Baron's rank..." she sighed and shift her silk-clad legs, re-crossing them with elegance. He watched her run a single, slender finger along the outside edge of her wine glass, listening as it emitted a clear ringing.

"If you disapprove, then why did you agree to their union as Tovarishch?" Baibars' voice was deep and hard to hear, but Radu leaned closer to the gap in the door.

"Partly to make my grandson happy... He wouldn't have been if I hadn't agreed..." again she sighed, "Usually, noble families only make ties to each other for gain, but... This time I have let my kindness overshadow my duties... The bond of Tovarishch is a strong one, one not easily broken, but the only one who receives benefit from this is, well... The Baron. He has nothing. No family but himself, very little to inherit, no great legacy... Goodness, I regret this union every day..." she shook her head. "Do you see the way he leads Ion to behave?"

"No, my Lady, I have not," he replied honestly.

"Teaching him to disobey like an uncivilized hooligan rather than properly as a noble should, taking him outside the barrier to mingle with commoners... Augusta help us... What did they teach that boy before they died?"

There had been no secrets between Ion and Radu until then. He didn't want to shoulder his Tovarishch with the burden of knowing his own grandmother disapproved of his choices, and never much cared for his partner. But that was the only secret he'd ever keep from him, who he otherwise voiced all of his thoughts and dreams to, no matter how silly.

He and Ion, as Tovarishch, shared a room and a bed. They shared everything else too, always trading plates before a meal, taking classes, bathing, everything. They relied solely on each other for companionship, and would defend each other without question.

Sometimes, when they were outside the barrier during the day, the young Terran would jeer or say demeaning things to Radu, commenting on how he was a bastard child and an orphan with no where to call home, but Ion verbally set them straight each and every time.

"Radu... What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't! You're the Earl of Memphis! Grandson of Mirka Fortuna! These things are imprinted into your blood!" Radu gave Ion a little push from behind, urging him on down the hall. Ion stumbled a little, but regained his posture, and continued his walk.

"Who do you think will be present?"

"Everyone. You're popular, Tovarishch, remember?" Radu took a quick step forward, and embraced Ion from behind, smelling the sweet lavender soap he had used on his hair, "And when we return, we'll both stay up all night and celebrate your Awakening together."

"You will... Say up with me?"

"I told you, I'll forsake the day with you. I love you. It's only fair. I don't want to wait until I'm Awakened to be with you again, because who knows how long that'll be? Maybe it would only be a couple of days, or even weeks, but what if it takes years? Or decades? I couldn't bear that." He squeezed Ion tightly, "Good luck, Tovarishch." One final kiss on the cheek, and Ion breathed deeply, reaching for the elegant silver handle on the door before him, turning it slowly. The entire room went silent, and all eyes were on Ion as he stepped in with practiced grace, crossing the room to where Mirka Fortuna stood, and beside her was an elegantly carved ebony table with a jeweled, solid gold chalice filled with the Methuselah Life Water he would need to drink from here on out.

Mirka beamed and stretched out her arms in a welcoming gesture. Radu glanced around and gaped almost in total bewilderment. The room was filled with several hundred people, all here to see the awakening of this single individual. Radu frowned. Who would be there for _him _when _he _Awakened? No one. Not one single person... Except Ion, he realized. Even if he was the only one, Ion would be there for him, and they would celebrate it together, just like they would tonight. Radu stepped a little lighter behind his companion.

"Ion, my Grandson," Mirka embraced him, "Finally, we can fully recognize you as one of us." She looked up at the crowd, "Behold! Ion Fortuna, heir to the Moldova family fortune!" Her voice, which was softer and more beautiful than any siren, echoed throughout the hall. Everyone stood in silence as the sun began to sink below the horizon, casting all of them into semi-darkness through the stained glass windows.

Ion knew the routine; he would wait in absolute silence until the sun had completely vanished, then, in one gulp, he would consume the Methuselah Life Water. There would be a celebration and a feast, and then Ion would stay up for the remainder of the night with Radu for company, and thus complete the transition from day life to night life and begin his life as a true Methuselah.

Both Ion and Radu closed their eyes and waited, side by side, their heads bowed. Then, it was time, and as the last ray of sunshine vanished, Ion grasped the chalice in one hand and brought it to his lips, drinking all of it in a single breath. It was bitter, almost unbearably so, and made his eyes water, but he did not set it down until the last drop slid between his lips. He smiled, and everyone clapped and cheered their happiness as he set the chalice back on the table. Ion bowed deeply, and he and Radu embraced, followed by a kiss on the forehead from Mirka.

The feast was held at a pair of long tables in the Great hall, with Ion, Mirka, Radu, and some of Mirka's closest friends at the head table. The boys were busy gathering food as Ion was repeatedly patted on the back and congratulated by friends and relatives alike. Radu smiled, undaunted by all of the attention the Earl was receiving, and the two of them traded plates as was their daily ritual.

"I don't know what this is, Tovarishch, but I thought we should try it," Radu pointed to the vegetable-and-rice combination in some sort of sauce that was on the plate he'd given Ion. Consequently, Ion had given him the very same."I agree. I gave some to you too." Both were extremely eager to get to the dessert, because there were all sorts of delicious things for them to try, so both had chosen only a few things; they would truly fill up on dessert yawned widely, thoroughly exhausted now that they had been up all night. He and Ion were back-to-back on a plush Persian rug that had been given to Ion as a gift when he was born, both of them nodding off.

"Ion... Can we go to bed yet?" Radu's voice was soft and heavy with fatigue."Soon. Grandmother said we must stay up until dawn... That would be... In only a few minutes... Look..." He gave a listless gesture toward the window. Sure enough, outside the barrier it was obvious that the sky was lightening to a bright shade of cobalt and would break into a multitude of colors as soon as the sun crawled over the horizon.

"Radu?" he heard the deep, heavy breathing of the boy behind him, and he glanced back. Sure enough, Radu was sound asleep. With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes and he, too, entered the dream world.


	2. Chapter 2

The newly Awakened Methuselah woke much later, but whether it was night or not he couldn't tell; the curtain over the window blocked out all of the desert heat and sun, leaving his room cool and pleasantly dark. He sat up, finding he'd been put to bed in his white silk pajama pants. He looked to his right and saw Radu there, on his side, still fast asleep beside him, his navy hair splayed haphazardly across the pillow. He smiled, and dove atop him, shaking and pestering him until Radu groaned, irritated at being pulled from his dreams.

"What...? What is it...?" he grumbled, turning to his back to look up at Ion. He rubbed his eyes.

"Did we make it?" he asked groggily, eyes closed as he was still not ready to get up.

"Yes. Grandmother or one of the servants must have come and put us to bed."

"Oh... Is it time to get up?"

"I will check," Ion rose, crossed the room, and pulled back the curtain, seeing the sun was setting beyond the edge of the city. "Yes, it is. Come, we must bathe," he grasped Radu's hand, pulling gently, and reluctantly, Radu pulled himself out of bed. Supported by Ion's arm, he followed him to the bathroom.

After preparing the water and submerging themselves, they washed each other, Radu going first for the washing to allow him to wake up a little better. Then, he washed Ion, taking care not to get any of the soap in his eyes just as Ion had done for him. Once they were dried and dressed in some of their best clothing, they walked hand in hand to meet the Duchess of Moldova.

"Ion," she smiled, "As a newly Awakened Methuselah, you have much work to do. I have asked Lord Baibars to take you for blade practice, and I will teach you the ways of the Moldova family and how we run our estate. I apologize, Radu, but I must ask that you don't follow him today. He must be entirely focused on his work." Radu frowned. A distraction? Was that all he was? "I'll find something for you to do in the meantime."

"Do not look so worried, Tovarishch. I would never replace you. I will see you at the end of the day, I promise." He hugged Radu gently, and then released his hand. Mirka knew that it wasn't uncommon for young Tovarishch to show such affection for one another, but those of the same gender usually grew out of such closeness. Radu was beginning to wonder if she thought they ever would. Radu feared that she might have added that to her list of things to hate him for, but he didn't dare find out if that was true.

"All right... Even if I don't see you for the rest of the day, I'll be waiting, Ion." He clasped his hands behind his back and watched as Ion walked away from him, standing beside his grandmother. His eyes never left Ion's silk-clad back, and already he longed for his warmth.

When he returned that evening, Ion was glowing with happiness and pride at his accomplishments, and Radu couldn't help but smile too. Instantly, he drew close to his companion, who had thrown himself on their bed, and rested his head on Ion's chest.

"Radu, you should have been there... Lord Baibars is excellent with a sword. He is possibly the best teacher I could ever have asked for! And there is so much to learn about the Moldova family! I do not think I could ever know it all!"

"So... Does this mean you'll always be gone?"

"No, of course not. How could I leave you for so long every day?" he chuckled, "You must be fearful... Oh, Radu..." Ion stroked his hair, "Remember, I will always love you, and will never truly leave you."

"Of course. Sorry I doubted you."

"I understand, Radu. I would never put work over you." Radu smiled contentedly, letting out a sigh as he cuddled Ion that was almost a purr in nature.


	3. Chapter 3

Two years passed, and Radu saw less and less of Ion, even when both of them were inside the Moldova family estate. Ion either had history lessons, or sword practice, or direct instruction from his Grandmother on their family lineage and what he would have to do once he was Duke of Moldova. Radu was left to fend for himself, managing to convince himself that he and Ion needed to be separated out of necessity, and there would be no way that Ion would entirely leave him.

Though Mirka had promised to find something else for him to do while Ion was busy, she never did, and at first he only thought that it happened because she was busy too, but when he saw her drinking and laughing with Lord Baibars in the dining room, he became certain it was on purpose. After all, she didn't approve of their binding as Tovarishch anyway, so why would she care about what happened to Radu? Without him, Ion could pick a proper, rich Tovarishch that would benefit the Moldova household, and not weigh it down. Knowing this, he fled from the manor with teary eyes, and had been wandering the streets of the Terran district of Byzantium for many hours into the night.

He was scuffing the dirt at his feet with his fine, leather boots of deep purple, his arms dangling languidly at his sides. Though he wore a deep frown now, it would have to go as soon as he returned the mansion; he'd never let Ion know that he was sad. He didn't want to worry him.

The fact that he was already fifteen and hadn't Awakened was almost unheard of, because every child Awakened before they turned fourteen. Not Radu. He continued to age like a Terran boy, and had gained nearly a foot of height already, his indigo hair lengthened slightly so it fell between his shoulder blades when he had it down. It was tied back right now, but the sides were short, and fell to hide his eyes on either side of his face.

"You, boy!" Radu jumped, and spun around to find an elderly Terran man holding a cane and hobbling toward him, "What do you think you're doing, wandering around this late at night?"

"What?" Radu quirked a brow.

"It's a little late for a boy your age to be wandering about!" he spoke a little louder, as if Radu was hard of hearing.

"What do you mean?"

"The Methuselah don't appreciate it when we Terran invade their precious night! You should make yourself scarce! Where do you live, boy?" Radu's jaw dropped in disbelief. This man thought he was a Terran?

"I... I'm..." he bowed his head, and his body sagged even more, "Yes, sir... I'll head home... I can find my way..."

"Be careful, son. It's dangerous these days." Radu trudged like a zombie down the road, back the way he'd come. His lip quivered, and he let out a soft, barely-heard sob into his flared sleeve, two tears making trails down his fair cheeks. _He _didn't even think Radu was a proper Methuselah. Just a simple, plain, lowly Terran! How dare they think so little of him! He was a noble! He deserved to be worshipped, to have the very ground he walked on to be kissed as he came by! Why did they have to treat him this way?

"Damn..." he muttered. He really didn't belong here, did he? Maybe he wasn't even a Methuselah, and his parents had stolen all of the gold they had ever made and left for him. He didn't deserve to be anything higher than Ion's servant, not his Tovarishch—which was a high enough honor already—and not as his lover either. _Definitely _not his lover. He didn't deserve one so beautiful as Ion... He didn't deserve to sleep in the same bed or share his home, nothing. Not even Mirka's possible future approval.

He hugged himself, suddenly cold now, though the evening was very warm, and didn't notice the sorrow streaking down his face. He should just take care of this himself, and end his life tonight, so he'd never be a weight on the world again. How would he do it? Radu looked around, and his eyes locked on the tall shadow of a minaret, rising high above all other buildings. A jump from that height would lead to a quick end... A very quick end. Practically painless, actually, and that sounded like a good way to go out. If someone found his body—no, _when _someone found his body—they would believe he was just another Terran, and would be buried as such. Ion would only think that he had disappeared, and he would never have to suffer the hurt of knowing Radu had died. Besides, he'd probably be too focused on his studies to really notice anyway...

Feeling suddenly very frigid, clutching his upper arms though the chill he felt was not a physical one, he focused his eyes on the ground, and started his lonely walk to the tower. That passed quickly, but as he opened the plain wooden door to head up, it seemed even taller than it had from the outside. This was going to take forever, and the last thing he needed was to rethink his options and decide not to go through with this. With a deep breath and a long, exaggerated sigh, he raised his leg, and set his foot on the next step, picking up a robotic rhythm as he trudged up the stairs.

His mind did, as he feared it would, start to wander. Even if Ion didn't notice at first that Radu had vanished, it wouldn't take very long... They usually went to bed around the same time, so as soon as the sun came up and Radu had not returned, Ion would know he was missing. And then what? He'd probably want a search conducted, just in case Radu had gotten lost in the far reaches of the Terran district, and hadn't found his way back yet. However, the Duchess of Moldova would most likely be the one who sent her guards out to look for Radu, and it wouldn't take more than a bit of snooping around to find out that he had fallen from this minaret and the Terran had found and buried him. She would most likely use that to her advantage, and actually tell Ion that he had run away because he didn't want to be Ion's Tovarishch anymore, just so she could get him out of her hair for good and keep Ion from talking about him. Ion would be crushed.

Coming to a stop, Radu realized he had finally come to the top of the tower, and was faced with a lovely view of the city below. He leaned on the wall on his arms as he looked over the edge, finding the height rather dizzying. Did he really have the courage to jump from this height? Every second he spent here left him doubting it. He didn't think he could. He frowned, and sat down, his back against the waist-high wall. This was pointless. He was too afraid to jump.

"Hello. Why so sad? What's bothering you on such a lovely night?" Radu jumped and looked up to see another young man, near his own age, with short, tawny brown hair. His eyes were of shining, liquid amber, and he was smiling brightly. He was a beautiful young man, his fairness rivaling Ion's. He was sitting up on the wall nonchalantly, swinging his legs a little.

"Why do you care?"

"No need to get snappy with me," he chuckled, "You're a Methuselah out of place, aren't you?" Instantly, Radu's gaze softened.

"How did you know?" The other boy smiled, and jumped down from the wall. Radu stood up.

"Your clothes. Terran in this city could never afford such a fine silk, and not in that color either. Red silk like that is hard to come by these days, did you know that?" Radu shook his head. He'd borrowed this tunic from Ion, as it was made for him to wear years from now when he reached Radu's height. The fact that red dye was a rarity explained why Mirka frequently doted on her grandson with such a color, and why she was so upset when she found _Radu_ wearing it instead.

"I guess no one pays attention to that... Are you a Methuselah?" Radu asked.

"No. Since you can't tell, that means you haven't Awakened yet, have you?" Radu bowed his head.

"Don't remind me. It's hard when my Tovarishch has already Awakened... And I'm far past the age where it usually comes. Fourteen or younger is typical... I'm fifteen now. And his grandmother hates me."

"Why does she hate you?" the boy looked on with sympathy.

"She mentioned I'm a bad influence, like I soil Ion's noble lineage by spending time with him." He saw the boy frown.

"You know, a lot of nobles in the Empire are like that. I've heard even the Empress herself displays this attitude."

"That, and we never see her face... At least, not often. I wish I could change that..."

"It looks like everyone is too caught up in this world to really pay attention." Radu nodded in agreement. "My name is Dietrich von Lohengrin, by the way. I come from the Germanic Kingdom." He smiled, offering a hand.

"Radu Barvon, Baron of Luxor," he shook it.

"A baron, you said? Very nice."

"It isn't, really. I don't have a family or a lot of money... Ion and I are the same age, and he's already an Earl. He was born into that title, and my parents had to die before I received my father's... Sorry..."

"That's all right. You know, I know of a place you can go that might help you out. Oh... No, sorry I mentioned it..." Dietrich shook his head, "You have to be unique in some way to get in... If you haven't Awakened, there's no way to tell if you've got what it takes to get in or not." Radu bowed his head, disappointed. "Why haven't you told your Tovarishch all of this? I thought they never kept secrets from each other?"

"We don't, but... He's been so happy lately with his accomplishments and the world around him, I just... Didn't want to ruin his good mood with my... My thoughts and knowledge... He'd be crushed if he knew the Duchess of Moldova hated me."

"I suppose, but that's kind of a heavy burden to carry all on your own."

"Maybe... But I've told you now, and that helps. I should go. If I'm lucky, Ion will be finished with his teaching, just in time for bed."

"Goodbye, then, Baron Luxor," Dietrich smiled.

"Goodbye. Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Oh yes, we'll see each other very soon." Radu smiled, glad to have something to look forward to as he trudged his way back to the manor.


End file.
